Comments on: N.B. parish’s mega-campground project faces hurdles

By: Andy Malolepszy

Andy Malolepszy — Tue, 03 Oct 2017 11:32:27 +0000

As a Pointe-du-Chene resident I am surprised that for the past few years the Anglican Church has resisted having open conversations with the local citizens. The citizens are concerned with this parcel of land and its destruction.

This past summer I met with a few of the parishioners. They also voiced their concern with the campground project and its effect on the environment. Most importantly they voiced their concern with the fallout on relationships with the local citizens. Yet it seems that those in power at the Anglican Church want to continue bulldozing (pardon the pun) the project forward.

Wouldn’t dialogue be helpful for a better understanding of the issues on both sides? My hope is that dialogue begins with the key stakeholders and citizens so that the project is well understood and most importantly relationships are restored. We are better working together rather than divided.

By: Carol Richardson

Carol Richardson — Thu, 28 Sep 2017 20:27:13 +0000

Thanks to Brenda Ryan for pointing out that this project is highly unlikely to meet environmental guidelines, and thus would not receive approval from the local planning authority, but more importantly it is not consistent with stated Anglican values and commitments to our environment.
A decision to move forward would definitely jeopardize their charitable status with CRA unless all proceeds were used to support specific missions…but would this be wisdom?
Yours truly, Carol Richardson

By: Brenda Ryan

Brenda Ryan — Thu, 28 Sep 2017 00:24:37 +0000

Since this article was written it has been determined that half the land targeted for the Shediac Campground development is wetland. This was confirmed by an independent wetland biologist hired by the provincial government. A copy of the wetland designation is on the Department of Environment and Local Government website. This is a regulated wetland. Wetlands serve an important function of cleansing stormwater run-off and are considered to be highly valuable and productive ecosystems. One has to ask how the Anglican Parish of Shediac can live up to its 5th Mark of Mission to be good stewards of the earth and proceed to fill in that wetland. Extensive excavation and fill will be required to support the trailer pads which will result in more stormwater run off carrying bacteria and contaminants into Shediac Bay and Parlee Beach. And there are homes on the other side of the estuary that will flood once this wetland is excavated and filled.

The Anglican Parish of Shediac has another problem in that it is using tax free charity money to engage in a business that is not related to their charitable purpose which is frowned upon by the Canada Revenue Agency. Because the Church is the campground developer, it may be putting its status as a charity at risk.